Festival and tattoo a $100m boost to city’s coffers
Weeks after the last set was pulled down and the final act played out, the numbers have been crunched and they reveal the four weeks of the New Zealand Festival brought more than $100 million into Wellington in February and March.
Business and Economic Research Ltd (Berl) estimated that the festival programme had the city’s tills ringing to the tune of $55m, while the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, brought over by the festival for its 30th birthday, generated $50m.
That compared with about $70m for the previous festival, in 2014, and $55m in 2012, executive chairwoman Kerry Prendergast said.
This year’s festival programme had been slightly smaller, as organisers knew many people would be coming from out of town for the tattoo, and might not make it back for other events, she said.
Not only did this year’s festival bring in the money, but a Nielsen survey of festival-goers showed that 91 per cent had a good, or very good, opinion of the festival, up from 87 per cent in 2014.
The range of experiences available contributed to the success of the festival, artistic director Shelagh Magadza said.
A lineup of world-class performances, complemented by events that were free, or embedded in the community, meant there was something for everyone.
‘‘This year we made a bit more of a statement with two very big events, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Pina Bausch. Both are up there on the excellence scale.
‘‘It had the best in the world, plus things that really give you a heightened sense of the community in your city.’’
Prendergast noted that the festival had also employed 200 subcontractors, and 40 festival staff.
The city council could not reveal how much it had put toward the tattoo, but mayor Celia Wade Brown said it was a ‘‘significant amount’’. The rest of the festival received just under $1m.
‘‘I think it is an excellent return to the city, both in measurable dollar terms . . . but there are some intangible benefits for us being known as the culture capital.’’
Free events not only made the festival more accessible, but also created a ‘‘wonderful buzz’’.
Hospitality New Zealand regional manager Dylan Firth said the festival had brought people out to eat and drink midweek, rather than just at the weekend.
The tattoo saw the city booked out, and the entire summer had been a bumper one for Wellington.